Cabinet for phonograph-records



J. F. BIGGS.

CABINET FOR PHONOGRAPH RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED- JULY H. 1919.

1,325,617. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

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157-!- 4 H mm J. F. BIGGS.

A CABINET FOR PHONOYGRAPH RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY II, 1919.

1,325,617.- Patented Dec. 23,1919.

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CABINET FOR PBONOGRAPH RECORDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY ll L919.

1,325,617. Patented Dec. 23,1919.

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JOSEPH I. BIGGS, or RICHMOND, vInsINIA.

CABIN ET FOR PHONOGRAPH-RECORDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed July 11, 1919. Serial No. 310,221.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. BIGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ,in Cabinets for Phonograph-Records, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to the art of cabi nets and the like and particularly to an im proved cabinet for receiving and holding talking machine records, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a cabinet adapted particularly for protecting the records while arranged therein, and also preventing scratching or otherwise marring the records, as they are inserted or withdrawn from the cabinet.

A further object of the invention is to provide means arranged in the cabinet for holding and supporting records in staggered relations, not only holding the records'in propped positions on their edges, but also enabling a number of records to be contained in a single cabinet. A further object of the invention is the provision of a cabinet having a front piece to the rear of the doors and provided with rows of vertical slots, through which the records pass, the slots of each row being in staggered relation with those of an adjacent row, hence permitting quite a num-' ber of records to be supported in a single cabinet.

A further object of the invention is to dispose or space this front piece with the slots in such a manner from the front face of the rear wall of the cabinet, as to permit the records to be supported in position, by contacting with the lower ends of the slots and the rear wall of the cabinet. In other words this front piece is arranged a distance from the rear wall of the cabinet, considerably less than the diameter of the record, so that the record may be supported by the lower ends of the slots and the rear wall of the cabinet.

A further object of the invention is to provicle a cabinet of this kind capable of holding small records, for instance seven inch records, as well as thelargest records, which are of a diameter substantially twelve inches.

A further object of the invention is to construct the front piece of several plies or thicknesses of wood having a filler of felt or other material therebetween, and adjacent the walls of the slots in the front piece this felt or other filler is slashed or cut, so that when the records are forced through the slots or removed, they will contact'with the felt in the edge of the slots, hence preventing the record from being scratched or marred.

A further object attained by arranging the slots in staggered relation is to permit the records to be easily grasped, when removing or replacing the records, thus making this operation comparatively easy.

The invention further aims to number the slots, correspondingly to the numbers of the records, it further being the aim to use an index listing the records according to title and the listing of each record includes the same number as is on the record and above its corresponding slot in the cabinet.

A further object of the invention'is the provision of a felt lining in the back of the cabinet, to cushion the records as they are rolled or inserted in place.

While the design and construction at present illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes,'the invention may be susceptible to changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved record cabinet constructed in ac-' cordance with the invention, showing one of the doors partly open, in order to disclose the slotted front piece of the cabinet.

Fig; 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. r

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig.2. I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view on line 4t of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlar ed detail sectional view of a portion of the front piece, showing the several plies of thin wood, and the intermediate pieces of felt, clearly showing the frayed edge of the felt, so as to engage the opposite faces of the record, to prevent scratching, as well as to wipe the dust ofl the record'as it is removed from the cabinet. f

Fig. 6 is adetailsectional viewonlinelf 66 of Fig. 5, showing the opposite walls of the slot, and showing the frayed edges of the felt.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a record cabinet constructed in the form of a boX, to receive the records, said box adapted to be arranged on end to support the records practically in the same manner as they are supported in the cabinet in the other figures.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a modified form of record cabinet, showing the slots of the front piece extending horizontally.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through Fig. 8, not only showing a single front piece, but showing a plurality of such pieces, whereby small and large records may be supported in the slots, the slots of the several pieces also being arranged in staggered relation and in registration.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the several slotted pieces, showing the felt.

between the plies of the different pieces or partitions.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a record cabinet as a whole, which may be any suitable or conventional shape, preferably as shown, though not necessarily. This cabinet comprises a base 2, having the usual supporting casters 3, and hinged at 4 to the open face of the cabinet are doors 5. These doors may be of any suitable construction or configuration, and may have a conventional form of look. If desired, instead of two doors, one door may be used, and also if de sired, a sliding door may be employed instead of a swinging door.

Arranged vertically in the cabinet, and spaced a slight distance from the rear face of th doors is a front piece 6, constituting a partition. The partition or front piece is spaced a greater distance from the rear wall of the cabinet than it is spaced from the doors. The front piece or partition comprises several plies or thicknesses of thin wood 7, which are adhesively or otherwise securely fastened together as shown, there being thicknesses of felt or other suitable material 8 between the plies or thicknesses of wood. This front piece or partition is provided with rows of slots vertically ar ranged, and the slots 9 of certain of the rows are super-imposed with those of other rows. Also the slots of certain of the rows are in staggered relation with similar slots of other rows. These slots are designed for the reception of records, and it may be noted that the partition or front piece is disposed with relation to the rear wall 10 of the cabinet for a distance a little. less than the diameter of the record, so that the edges of the records may engage and be supported by the lower ends of the slots and the rearwall of the cabinet, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The thicknesses or plies of felt adjacent the opposite longitudinal wallsof the slots are frayed or slashed or otherwise cut, so as to contact with the opposite faces of the records, as they are inserted and removed from the cabinet, thereby preventing scratching of the records and also acting to wipe off the dust. Arranged in the lower part of the cabinet is an offset abutment 11, which cooperates with the lower ends of the lowermost slots of the front piece, so as to support the records of smaller diameters, such as seven and nine inch records, and also ten inch records. This offset abutment (which, as shown in Fig. 4:, taper toward one side) and the rear wall of the cabinet above the abutment are provided with a lining of felt as indicated at 12 and 13, to be engaged by the edges of the records, to cushion them as they are inserted into the cabinet. By stepping or increasing the thickness of the offset abutment from one end toward the other in a lateral direction, it is possible to support records of different diameters in the lower row of slots.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 there has been dis closed a modification of the improved cabinet, in which, instead of a single front piece, a plurality of front pieces or partitions are emlployed. However, these partitions or front pieces are similarly constructed as those in the previous piece, with the exception that each only consists of two plies, and it is to be understood that these partitions or front pieces may be constructed of any suitable material, 'such as wood, metal or the like, or any suitable composition, or any other. material, suitable for the purpose, in connection with the felt or other suitable material in the plies of the partitions so as to cushion the records.

Also, in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the partitions have the slots running horizontally though still in staggered relations, and the slots of the different partitions are in registration. so that the records may be easily inserted therein, and be supported by the felt between the plies. By providing a cabinet of this particular kind, large and small records may be supported, even with more conven ience than records can be supported in the cabinet disclosed in the other figures of the drawing. Otherwise the principle of the cabinet and the partitions and the slots is practically the same in the first figures, hence the same reference characters are ap plied throughout.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing, of a front partition having a plurality of slots, with certain ends'of which and the rear wall of the housing the edges of the records engage, to support them, said front partition being constructed of several plies of thin wood provided therebetwecn with alternate plies of soft fabric material, said soft fabric material being slashed or cut to correspond with the lengths of the slots, with which the opposite faces of the records engage, thereby preventing the opposite faces of the records from contacting with the wood of the partition, avoiding scratching of the records and wiping the records when inserting and removing the same.

2. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing, of a front piece arranged in a vertical plane in the housing and spaced from the rear wall thereof, said front piece having slots with the lower ends of which and the rear wall of the cabinet the edges of the records engage, said front piece being constructed of several plies of wood material securely fastened together in parallel vertical planes, plies of felt secured between the plies of wood, said felt being'slashed or cut longitudinally and corresponding with the length of the slots, said plies of felt protruding inwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges of th slots, thereby being engaged by the opposite faces of the records, preventing the records from contacting with the walls of the slots and wiping the records as they are inserted and removed.

3. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing, of a front piece arranged in a vertical plane of the housing and spaced from the rear wall thereof, said front piece having vertical slots with the lower ends of which and the rear wall of the cabinet the edges of the records engage, said front piece being constructed of several plies of Wood material securely fastened together in parallel vertical planes, plies of felt secured between the plies of wood, said felt being slashed or cut longitudinally and corre sponding with the length of the slots, said plies of felt protruding inwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges of the slots, thereby being engaged by the opposite faces of the records, preventing the records from contacting with the walls of the slots and wiping the records as they are inserted and removed, the slots being arranged in staggered relation and superimposed, thereby permitting hand holds upon the records when inserting and removing the same.

4. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing, of a front piece arranged in a vertical plane of the housing and spaced from the rear wall thereof, said front piece having vertical slots with the lower ends of which and the rear wall of the cabinet the edges of the records engage, said front piece being constructed of several plies of wood material securely fastened together in par allel vertical planes, plies of felt secured between the plies of wood, said felt being slashed or cut longitudinally and corresponding with the length of the slots, said plies of felt protruding inwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges of the slots, thereby being engaged by the opposite faces of the records, preventing the records from contacting with the walls of the slots and wiping the records as they are inserted and removed, the lower portion of the rear wall of the cabinet being provided with an offset abutment, which and the upper portion of the rear wall have a lining of felt, said offset abutment cooperating with the lower ends of certain of the slots to be engaged by the edges of records of smaller diameters.

5. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing, of a front piece arranged in a vertical plane of the housing and spaced from the rear wall thereof, said front piece having vertical slots with the lower ends of which and the rear wall of the cabinet the edges of the records engage, said front piece being constructed of several plies of wood material securely fastened together in parallel vertical planes, plies of felt secured between the plies of wood, said felt being slashed or cut longitudinally and corre spending with the length of the slots, said plies of felt protruding inwardly from the opposite longitudinal edges of the slots, thereby being engaged by the opposite faces of the records, preventing the records from contacting with the walls of the slots and wiping the records as they are inserted and removed, the lower portion of the-rear wall of the cabinet being provided with an 01T- set abutment, which and the upper portion of the rear wall have a lining of felt. said oflset abutment cooperating with the lower ends of certain of the slots to be engaged by the edges of records of smaller diameters, said offset abutment being stepped in a lateral direction, to permit of holding and supporting records of various diameters.

6. In a record cabinet, the combination with a housing provided with a rear Wall of a front partition arranged in the housing and positioned in a vertical plane parallel with the rear wall, said front partition having a plurality of rows of vertical slots, said front partition being spaced from said rear wall a distance less than the diameters of the records, whereby the edges of said records may engage the rear wall and'the lower ends of the said slots for supporting the records.

7. In a record cabinet of the kind set forth, the combination with a housing having a rear wall, of a front piece disposed in a vertical plane spaced from and in parallel relation with the rear wall a distance less than the diameters of the records, said front piece having elongated slots formed longitudinally and in rows and being relatively staggered to permit of hand holds on the records, the spacing of the front piece constituting means whereby the edges of the records may engage the rear wall and certain of the ends of the slots to support the records, the edges of said slots having wiping means to wipe the records as they are inserted and withdrawn.

8. The combination with a record receiving cabinet, of a partition positioned in a vertical plane in the cabinet and provided with slots, said partition being constructed of a plurality of plies of thin wood, provided therebetween with alternate plies of soft fabric material, said material being slashed to correspond with the lengths of the slots, and through which the records may pass, whereby'the opposite edges of the slashes may wipe against the opposite faces of the record.

9. The combination with a record cabinet, of a record supporting partition mounted in a vertical plane therein, said partition being constructed of a plurality of plies of wood and provided therebetween with plies of soft fabric material, said supporting partition having slots, said material between the plies being slashed correspond ing with the lengths of the slots, said slots being wider than the slashes, whereby the edges of the slashes of the material may support records, said partition having slots,

the opposite edges and ends of the slots ha"- ing a wiping fabric in parallel relation with the partition, said wiping material being slashed corresponding with the lengths of the slots, whereby the opposite edges of the slashes may .wipe against the opposite faces of the record.

11. In a record cabinet, a partition in the cabinet, said partition having slots for the reception of records, the marginal edges of the slots cooperating with the back of the cabinet to support records, and a piece of fabric material carried by the partition in a plane parallel therewith, said material being slashed correspondingly with the lengths of the slots, whereby as the records pass through the slots the opposite edges of the slashes are adapted to wipe the opposite faces of the records.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH F. BIGGS. 

